Maricopa County and the Greater Phoenix Chamber partnered on Wednesday morning to host prominent Valley business and government leaders for the State of the County address from Board of Supervisors Chair Thomas Galvin.
This milestone was the culmination of years of disciplined and principled county leadership, persistent economic growth, strong public-private partnerships, and an unwavering belief in Maricopa County’s potential. The chamber is an integral component of this great story.
The address was a celebration of how far we’ve come, the work actively being done to improve quality of life for residents, and the prosperous future we are building together.
Maricopa County is the fourth-most populous county in the nation and the Board of Supervisors oversees one of the largest budgets in the state. In the past two decades, a great recession, global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and crippling inflation have threatened to slow the region’s economic momentum, yet Maricopa County emerged from each challenge stronger thanks to its conservative budgeting philosophy and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
The county’s fiscal year 2026 budget stands in contrast to other local governments that are raising taxes or cutting services in this uncertain economy. The latest budget cut the overall tax rate for the fifth year in a row. The board also increased investment in public safety, its largest priority, without cutting programs or services.
These priorities were achieved while carrying no general obligation debt. The county boasts its lowest staff-to-population rate ever at 3.08 per 1,000 residents, by implementing lean governance and increased efficiency as indicators of sound financial management and long-term planning. The county continues to maintain the highest credit rating possible, a AAA bond rating with a stable outlook, Standard & Poor’s gold standard for stability and reliability.
County residents and businesses benefit from lower costs, smarter investments, and the assurance that their government is carefully managing resources today while planning responsibly for tomorrow.
Chamber advocates for business-friendly policies
While the county has worked hard to responsibly represent taxpayers and maintain a business-friendly environment, the Greater Phoenix Chamber has served as a powerful voice for the business community. The chamber’s primary focus areas have been advocating for common sense, business-friendly policies, retaining and nurturing local companies and preparing the highly skilled workforce of tomorrow.
Programs such as ElevateEdAZ are closing skills gaps by ensuring high school students graduate with industry-relevant experience. Regular economic briefings, research, and advocacy keep decision-makers informed and the business climate competitive.
The chamber and county don’t operate in silos. Our collaboration is intentional and symbiotic. When the county signals financial stability, the chamber maximizes it to create deeper economic development opportunities for the Phoenix metro.
When the chamber assists in efforts to attract new companies or helps existing companies grow and expand, the county provides the environment for them to establish roots, hire qualified personnel and build a pathway to success.
Together, we’re proving that partnership between county government and the business community is the formula for long-term success.
The magic of public-private partnerships is on display through the county’s new Office of Economic Development, launched earlier this year as Chairman Galvin’s initiative. Maricopa County is one of the top destinations for booming businesses, and it was imperative to establish an office to help foster that growth.
This new office will establish metrics to track what successful economic development looks like. These metrics will range from contact with companies and other local governments to tracking the impacts of county zoning changes.
Even though these metrics have yet to be fully implemented, the new office has either won or is currently contributing to more than 10 competitive business attraction projects since May. Additionally, the new economic development director has either made contact or met directly with every incorporated municipality in the county and is implementing best practices for supporting unincorporated areas.
The road ahead: More work to do
This was the first State of the County event since the pandemic, but it will not be the last.
The address is a chance to showcase how Maricopa County is delivering results for taxpayers through financial stability, steady business investment and an attractive quality of life for our residents. It is also an honest forum for the work that has yet to be done to make our county even stronger by critically rethinking our approaches to issues like workforce development, planning and zoning, and housing affordability.
As consistently one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, our work is far from done. Balancing a nearly $4 billion budget, planning responsibly for growth, and aligning government and business to create opportunities for all will continue to remain at the heart of our vision.
Ultimately, Maricopa County is fiscally sound, open for business and nationally competitive. We are the largest national model for fiscal responsibility. By partnering our organizations and leveraging each other’s strengths, the “Maricopa Miracle” has built momentum that makes us the envy of every other metro area that will carry us far into the future.
Thomas Galvin is chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors; Todd Sanders is president & CEO of the Greater Phoenix Chamber.